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VIVA LA! My boyfriend and I lived in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico for an entire month and had an absolute blast! It was probably one of our adventurous months yet, as we live in a different location each month! We started this journey of working from anywhere in Miami Beach then New York City (our favorite) which I recommend checking out those travel guides! We chose Mexico because we’ve always LOVED visiting, and realized that if we could find a nice home base, we could work from anywhere, feel safe, and enjoy some free time on the weekends to explore and adventure, so we packed up + headed south for the month of November! We specifically chose Playa Del Carmen, both never really visiting that exact spot. It’s perfectly situated between Cancun and Tulum which we thought was ideal. We of course did tons of research going into this month long stay so I’m excited to share all the details of our stay with you…
Like I said, we did a ton of research before settling on Playa Del Carmen but we found out it’s a GREAT spot for families, kids, and couples too! It’s perfectly situated between Cancun and Tulum so you can easily access both but we LOVED the feel of Playa Del Carmen. Cancun is way too touristy for us, and Tulum was way too overpriced if we’re being honest. I know Tulum is super trendy right now, but it was overcrowded and overpriced ($20 for a taco plate!? no thank you)!
WHERE TO STAY:
We found the BEST location in Playa Del Carmen, and I’m not joking! After being there for a month we really got to know the area, and quickly realized we chose the NICEST place in town. Above is an iPhone photo I snapped one evening from our balcony at The Elements- a privately owned condo complex, with a full time staff, private beach access (the only one in Playa Del Carmen), a full gym, and in the best location! Honestly we couldn’t have asked for it to work out more perfectly. Our condo was cute and home-y, with 2 beds and 2 baths, there was a gym we used every single day, the front desk staff was amazing at helping us with groceries, giving us directions, keeping us safe, and asking us if we needed anything. Not to mention, there is a bar on the beach, with lounge chairs, palm frond umbrellas, and it’s the ONLY private beach in Playa Del Carmen which felt SO good and safe, especially being in Mexico! Not to mention, the walk from our condo at The Elements to 5th Avenue which is the Main Street in town (with restaurants, shops, music, etc), is only 5 minutes and so convenient! We went there almost every day! Truly we loved staying here and I would go back in a heartbeat!
WHAT TO DO:
Rent sailboats (they have captains on them, but my boyfriend is certified so we loved doing this right on the beach)
Snorkeling out at the reefs
Visit Cozumel for a day trip
Walk along Fifth Avenue (the best food, vibe, and shops)
ATVing through the jungle (we did it with Mexxtremo)
Visit cenotes (natural, underground sinkholes basically- they’re everywhere + our favorite was Azul Cenote
Day trip to Tulum (it has to be done since it’s so trendy but it’s def $$$)
Isla Mujeres day trip (this is the best- the island’s main mode of transportation is golf carts which you can rent for $10/hour)
Massages on the beach (The Elements had private masseuses so we did this weekly for $20/60 minute massage)
Mexico Pharmacies (say no more)
Walk down 38th Ave (cute little street)
WHERE TO EAT/DRINK:
Vagabunda on 5th Avenue (we ate here 2-3x a week, it was our favorite spot with live music daily)
Piola- Italian on 38th Ave
Aguachiles (the BEST fish/shrimp tacos you will ever eat in your life)
Que Huevos (breakfast spot down the street + so so good)
Cueva Del Chango
Fresh Tortillas at the Tortilleria (on the same street as The Elements but the tortillas are like one peso each and AMAZING)
Since had a full kitchen we cooked too: I recommend going to walmart.mx and ordering groceries to your condo. It is a free delivery and we relied on this so much since it’s so convenient! We also grocery shopped at Mega
TIPS ON GETTING AROUND:
You can definitely walk everywhere if you stay in Playa Del Carmen. It’s actually a small town and everything is fairly close! We did hire a private driver from the airport to the hotel and we also used him to take us around one day to different cenotes, around Tulum, and anywhere else we wanted to go. Let me know if you need his contact information, he was GREAT! If you take a taxi, which we did too- ask the price BEFORE going on your trip. You can typically bargain with them!
MORE TRAVEL TIPS:
DEFINITELY download the free google translate app on your phone! Make sure you download the Spanish language/dictionary before you arrive so you can easily access this without WiFi on your phone. We used this DAILY when trying to communicate with everyone! It’s super helpful + you can also use the camera/scan setting to scan labels at the grocery store or menus at restaurants! A must for your visit to Mexico!